Ours
by EMndLIZ
Summary: Everyone has their version of what true love is. There is no one type and none is better than the other. For better or worse, Liason's willing to fight for their true love. Come hell or high water, they are in it together, now and forever. If only those around them could accept that truth. Then again, nothing worth having ever comes easy living in Port Charles. Not by a long shot.
1. First Date

**Ours**  
"First Date"

They have known each other for eight years, eight long years, and yet she couldn't be more nervous if she tried. Obviously this wasn't the first time they have tried to make something more out of their feelings for each other. Having tried for a romantic relationship on more than one occasion, but this just feels different somehow. Like it could actually work this time.

Sitting on her porch swing, the butterflies begin to send her stomach into a complete frenzy with each passing second, bringing the time closer and closer. Tonight will be the night they have their first official date in public. As if first dates aren't bad enough, chances of them running into someone that disapproves is along the lines of ten to one, higher than any other couple, that's for sure.

Cameron is currently at his great-grandmother Audrey's house, a source of support that she literally had not expected, not in the least. Since the moment she and Lucky had become an official item, her Gram's has always been all about them being together. Up until two months ago, her Gram was Lucky's number one supporter that it shocked her profusely when she had switched to supporting Jason. Even before she found out Lucky was an addict atop of being an adulterer.

Her son, of course, can't go without seeing Jason for even a day. In the two months that they have been together, Cameron has done all he can to keep Jason around, for as long as humanly possible. When Jason has no other choice but to leave, Cameron won't let him go until Jason promises that he'll be coming back soon.

These last two months have truly been the best two months of her entire life. Her son is happy and has finally accepted that Lucky's no longer part of their lives. He doesn't even ask for Lucky anymore. Gradually her son has adjusted to life without Lucky and she couldn't be happier. After everything that Lucky has done to them, she says good riddance.

"Jason." she whispers when the sound of a motorcycle breaks the silence, knowing it would be less than a couple minutes before he's outside her house.

In that moment, as she rose to her feet to greet him, Elizabeth felt all her nerves and fears melt away without a second thought. Watching as he walks up the pathway to where she's standing, that addictive smile upon his face, everything inside of her felt right. That this is exactly where her life had been leading her. To this moment, right there, with him.

"Hey." he voices softly as he holds her in his arms. "I missed you."

"I missed you." she replies on a whisper just before his lips take claim to hers.

"I set everything up with Sonny." he assures her as they make their way to his SUV that's parked in the driveway. "He'll only call if its life and death."

"That's surprising." Elizabeth replies as she slides into the passenger's seat. "Agreeing to that must have taken all his strength."

"He turned pale." Jason admits. "I thought he was having a heart attack."

"Remind me to thank him then." Elizabeth turns her gaze to the driver's side as he makes his way around the car and gets in. "So, where are we going?"

"Its a surprise."

She's wasn't sure just how thrilled she was to not know where they were headed, but she accepts that surprises are just something that she has to get used to when it comes to Jason. After all, having him make the choice to be with her had be one of the hugest surprises she has ever lived through. Hearing the words leave his mouth was a shock all its own.

The fact that he had done it in the middle of one of Sonny's family gatherings had been the most shocking of all, but Jason insisted that everyone be there when he made the announcement. The look of determination in his eyes, the firmness of his voice, and his outright body language had told everyone that he wasn't messing around this time. He didn't even wait for Carly to object or for anyone to question about Sam before he took her away from the gathering.

"The No Name?" Elizabeth questions in apt confusion when he removes his hands from her eyes to reveal where he had taken her. "I thought this place was shut down a long time ago."

"It was." he admits, slipping the key into the lock before pushing open the front door. "I bought it a couple years ago. Its been under renovation for the last year and I think its finally ready to be reopened."

"I don't know what to say." she admits as she walks through the door, taking in the decor. "It looks just like I remember it yet completely different."

"I wanted to keep the old look of the place, but a little more people friendly." he explains as he helps her slip out of her jacket. "I think I pulled it off."

"You did." she assures him. "Its bigger and better than it ever was."

"I'm glad you think so." he smiles softly. "Come on. I want to show you the private room."

As he showed her around, Elizabeth could tell that he was really proud of what he had done, this light shining through his eyes as he told her all about it. He told her about having Sonny help him decide what the kitchen would look like. The kind of stoves that would be necessary for all the cooking that will need to be done.

How Sonny nearly fainted when Jason said that a stove's a stove, it didn't matter which they chose. Of course, that comment earned him an hour lecture on the importance of choosing the right kind of stoves. Not that Jason really paid much attention to any of it. He just wanted Sonny to do the choosing in order to avoid an argument later.

"I know this probably isn't what you expected..."

"Its better than what I expected." she assures him, cutting him off by slamming her lips against his. "I had no idea you cared so much about this place."

"Its one of the few neutral places in my world." he says simply. "A place that can't be touched by any violence."

"The appeal is definitely growing on me." she smiles at him as he takes her hand and guides her over to the candlelit dinner. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

"If I've learnt anything about myself, its that I've never been good at letting people in." Jason voices as he pushes in her chair. "I don't want to make that mistake with you again."

"Me either." she agrees, holding up her hand to stop him from denying it. "I've done my fair share of shutting people out. Especially when it comes to you."

"Fair enough."

"Look, Jason, I know that us deciding to be together isn't going to magically fix everything that's ever happened between us." Elizabeth voices with apt seriousness. "But, I also know that I'm willing to work it out with you as long as you're in it with me."

"I'm not going anywhere." he assures her, taking her hand in his. "Never again."

Okay, so, maybe it wasn't the first date in public that she had been expecting, but who is she to complain about a first date of this caliber? For Jason to open up to her about something this close to his heart, Elizabeth had no words to describe just how deeply that affected her. Seeing just how much of himself he's opening up to her, Elizabeth's love for him only continues to grow stronger and stronger, hopeful for the success of their relationship this time around.

As dinner progresses, they find themselves talking about Cameron and the prospect of them having a future together as a family. They talk about the small things, like Cameron's bedtime schedule, his playtime preferences, as well as his favorite shows and movies. After they have touched on almost everything there is to know about Cameron, they move on to their plans for the future. Where they'll live when they decide to finally move in together, knowing its only a matter of time.

By the end of the meal, Jason had her in his arms, swaying to the soft music of the jukebox in the background. It wasn't until after the song ended and he went to put on another song that she recognized the jukebox. It was the one from Kelly's that usually sat just shy of the entrance. Bobbie had mentioned selling it to get a new one, but she never would have guessed that she had sold it Jason.

"I knew how much it meant to you." he voices when he notices her admiring the jukebox. "I didn't want it to be sent to the junkyard."

"The kind of money it must have cost to get it in running condition again..." she shook her head, knowing just how battered the thing was. "It had to have cost you more than its worth."

"We shared our first dance to it." he reminds her. "Given that the moment hadn't been ideal...its still part of our history. As far as I'm concerned, it didn't cost nearly as much as its worth."

"First the bridge and now this..." she couldn't find the words to describe all she was feeling in that moment.

"The past is just as important as the future ahead of us." he says simply. "You taught me that."

As his arms went to circle around her once again, her eyes slowly shut in anticipation of his lips gently touching hers for the initial embrace of his kiss. Always starting the same way, gentle and seeking before the passion implodes within them both, sending them into a hungry battle for dominance and submission, their kisses always leave her with a burning desire for more. More of him. More of them. More of everything.

From the newly refurbished No Name to her bedroom, their deliciously addictive song and dance takes on a new tune as he explores every inch of her transforming abdomen. Now four months along, she finds that he takes extra precautions whenever they're together. Taking on a slow, gentle, touch as opposed to the night that they had conceived the life inside of her.

"You okay?" he voices as they come down from their bout of ecstasy. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"You never do." she assures him as his hand moves to rest upon her abdomen. "You're always so good to me, Jason, even when I don't deserve it."

"That sentiment goes both ways." he replies lovingly. "I couldn't possibly repay you for all you've done for me."

"Say you'll stay tonight." she says hopefully, meeting his eyes with complete seriousness. "Cameron will be home in the morning and we can have a family breakfast...the four of us. What do you say?"

"With an offer that tempting, who am I to refuse?"


	2. Setting Boundaries

**Ours**  
"Setting Boundaries"

Picking up Cameron's toys from the living room floor, Elizabeth smiles softly, imagining herself at full term and barely being able to do such simple tasks. There had been a time, while she was pregnant with Cameron, that she had to literally sit on the couch in order to pick up the pen she dropped on the floor. It took her a good ten minutes to get back onto her feet again. Fortunately for her she had her trusty bodyguard right by her side while she was away from Port Charles. She doubts she would have survived that pregnancy without his help.

"Hello?" she answers her house phone when it rings. "Uh, sure...of course. Lunch sounds great. I'll meet you there."

Ending the call, surprised by the invitation, Elizabeth quickly gets bathed and dressed. Her Gram has decided to take Cameron for the day, probably hoping she'd take some time for herself, giving her the opportunity to take her friend up on the offer of lunch. Things have been rather rocky between them lately and she hopes that this lunch is the step in the right direction for them. Taking a deep breath, she starts up her car and heads off to the local diner, anxious to get the encounter over with and learn the true state of their friendship.

::::::::::  
liason  
::::::::::

Straightening his jacket, Jason takes a deep breath before stepping into the staff meeting he had scheduled for that morning, needing to settle things with the men so that things can get back into running order within the organization. For months there has been talk about a power struggle within the organization and he's looking to set that straight today. With too many people having worked for the organization for about the same amount of time, all are anxious to see who would be promoted to Jason's lieutenants since the last two had unfortunately passed away in a car crash.

For the most part, Jason trusts each and every last one of the men under his employment, certain that they wouldn't be working for him if he didn't, but he didn't trust them enough to put them at his side. No. For a position of that caliber he needs the best of the best and that required pulling his two most trusted men back into the thick of it. For years now they have been itching for the chance to get back in, but the opportunity never presented itself. Until now.

"Have a seat." Jason says when the men rise to their feet as he enters. "This won't take much time. I understand that there has been a lot of questions floating around and its time to set the rumors straight."

"If I may..." Ritchie steps forward. "We're all just wondering who will take Marco and Dave's position."

"And that will be addressed by the end of the meeting." Jason assures him, showing him the level of respect the man deserves for his years spent protecting Sonny's family. "Before we touch on that topic, however, there are more pressing matters to see to. Shall we?"

Once he has the men's attention, Jason gets down to the business at hand, buying himself a little more time until the two can get to the warehouse. According to Stan the plane just landed, giving them just enough time to get to the meeting before its over. While he has the men's attention, he doesn't see any reason to not address the other problems at hand with the current warehouse management. He has to make the men understand why he has chosen to take this path instead of promoting one of them to the positions. Hopefully by the time he's done, he'll have accomplished that.

::::::::::  
liason  
::::::::::

The smile fading from her lips, Elizabeth stares into the eyes of her closest friend and wonders if this is how it will always be. A part of her, as much as she'd like to deny it, had seen it coming from the jump. Emily has always had a problem with her and Jason's connection, more so when she thought they were dating all those years ago, and it obviously hasn't gotten any better. No matter what she wishes, Elizabeth must see what's right in front of her. She can't let her love for Emily blind her to the possibility that she'll try to get between her and Jason. Not this time around.

"Are you done?" Elizabeth questions when Emily stops talking. "Emily?"

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Good." Elizabeth says seriously. "Now that you've had your say, its your turn to listen."

"This should be good."

"You're entitled to your opinion, much like everyone else in this town, I won't deny you that." Elizabeth says after a brief moment. "But do keep one thing in mind while you are making up your mind about me and your brother. For as long as your standing is to be against the future we are planning together, you will not have any part in my relationship with Jason. Whatever happens between us, whether its good or bad, will not include you. Do I make myself clear?"

"What is this supposed to be, an ultimatum?" Emily counters. "Are you saying that you're going to make Jason keep his distance from me?"

"Of course not, Emily." Elizabeth shakes her head at the accusation. "Jason is his own man, whatever he decides is on him. I just want you to understand where I stand. As much as you wish it weren't happening, Jason and I are creating a family together. Cameron has finally begun to accept that Lucky is no longer in our lives and the last thing I need is for you to confuse him with your doubt. So, until you can decide on whether or not you want to accept my future with Jason, I just think its best that your contact with Cameron is kept to a minimum."

"So, basically, I have to accept your sudden relationship with my brother or you and I can't be friends anymore?" Emily voices, trying to get a grasp on where this conversation is going. "I can't be Cameron's auntie anymore?"

"If you choose to challenge my relationship with Jason rather than accept it, yeah...that's exactly what I'm saying." Elizabeth states. "Cameron has been through enough. I won't let him get caught up in a battle between us if that's what it comes to. I'm sorry, Emily, but two months is about all I've got in me. Make up your mind and get back to me...or not. Its up to you."

Rising to her feet, refusing to be talked out of it, Elizabeth tosses a few bills onto the table to pay for the lunch before making her way out of the diner. She never wanted it to come to this. She had hoped that, with a couple months to process the change, Emily would eventually learn to accept her relationship with Jason. From the look in her friend's eyes, it didn't look like that would be happening any time soon. As hard as it is for her to swallow the reality they've found themselves in, Elizabeth can't take any risks in regard to her family. She just can't.

For years she allowed the people in her life to scare her from Jason. Despite her heart's desire to be with him, she allowed the loud voices to dictate what she did. She allowed them to pull her back into the broken girl that needed Lucky to survive and she couldn't allow that to happen this time. No matter what she's risking by setting these boundaries, Elizabeth knows that it will be an acceptable loss as long as her future with Jason is unharmed. She lost him once to them. She won't lose him again.

::::::::::  
liason  
::::::::::

He could see that they were finally understanding where he was coming from, making him that much more confident in the plans he has put together for the future of the organization. With Sonny's permission, he plans on changing up the organization completely, turning it into a well oiled machine. Every part of the organization will play its part and, if all goes right, it'll bring the organization into a more efficient system.

"In the coming weeks, each of you will have a more in depth meeting with myself and the two men I appoint as my lieutenants." Jason voices loud enough for all to hear him. "During that time, you will be able to voice your concerns and standing on the matter. Regardless of what you may think of them, however, you will show them the same level of respect you granted their predecessors."

Granted a unanimous nod from the men, Jason walks over to the door to let in the two men that would be taking their rightful place by his side. As much as he appreciated their efforts on the island, keeping the place in order, he couldn't hide the relief on his face when they came into view. With them around, Jason knows he'll be able to breathe a little easier knowing that they'll always have his back, no matter what.

"For those of you who don't know who these are, to my right is Francis Corelli. He has been a part of this organization going on twenty years." Jason introduces before moving on to the next one. "And, to my left, this is Johnny O'Brien. He has been with the organization for about fourteen years. There's a lot that many of you can learn from these two. Take that opportunity and, who knows, one day you could be called on to head up your very own division. That'll be all for today."

"Well, that went well." Johnny voices once the men file out of the room. "I would have bet a hundred bucks that at least one of them would have challenged us."

"That'll come. Trust me." Francis voices as the door shuts behind the last guard. "They'll challenge our authority until they believe we're the right people for the job."

"Something I'm sure you'll be able to do." Jason assures as he slips into his jacket. "You guys don't start until Monday. Why don't you take the weekend to get reacquainted with the town?"

"We've got plenty of time to reacquaint ourselves with the town." Francis waves off the offer. "We're more interested in getting reacquainted with Elizabeth. Think she'd mind a couple guests for dinner?"

"She'd probably kill you if you didn't stop by." Jason admits as they head out of the warehouse. "She usually has dinner around seven. I'll let her know you'll be joining us."

"Good." Francis shakes his head. "Until then, we'll be settling into our apartments."

"And, in case we haven't made it abundantly clear by now, we're really glad you finally took the leap." Johnny voices wholeheartedly. "Its about time the both of you stole some happiness for yourselves."

"Seven o'clock. Don't be late." Jason counters, not too fond of emotional conversations, especially with these two. They'd never let him live it down. "I'll see you guys later."

Racing back to Elizabeth, he's surprised when she doesn't even look up to acknowledge his presence, concerned about what would have her in such deep thought. As he gets closer, her eyes finally meet his, a soft smile touching her lips as he settles into the couch beside her, allowing her to snuggle into his side once he's comfortable.

"You okay?" he dares to ask as she holds him close. "Is it the baby?"

"No. The baby's just fine. Healthy as ever." she assures him. "I set boundaries with your sister and I'm not sure that our friendship will last much longer."

"Did you have any other choice?"

"No. Not if I wanted her to understand that I'm serious about us." Elizabeth takes a deep breath before closing her eyes. "I just wish there was another way."

"There's only so much you can do." Jason says softly. "Now the decision is on Emily. Whatever she decides, I promise you we'll get through it."

"As long as I have you, I can handle whatever she decides." Elizabeth assures him. "Whether she accepts us or not...I can handle it."


End file.
